Kenyans love to sanctify the dead, speaking ill about a dead person is almost taboo in this country. And this is what has pissed Boniface Mwangi.
Mwangi is irritated because no one wants to speak about the fact that late Kikuyu Benga musician John Ng’ang’a Mwangi, popularly known as John DeMathew, was drunk when he caused the accident that claimed his life.
DeMathew died in a grisly road crash near Thika Town on Sunday night August 18th 2019. Several leaders including president Uhuru Kenyatta attended his burial.
Boniface Mwangi has come out to talk about the scourge of drunk driving in Kenya, and late John DeMathew forms the basis of his argument.
“Kenyans pretend a lot. We are taught cowardice and silence as a language. When someone is doing wrong, we look the other way and pretend we aren’t seeing. One of our greatest blindspots is alcoholism. We have alcoholic family members, colleagues, but we never confront them or speak about their problem. We board Matatus, whose driver is clearly drunk, and we respond with the language taught to us since childhood, silence and perhaps a prayer for journey mercies.
“DeMathew, just like a good friend of mine, died because he was drink driving. If DeMathew hadn’t been behind the wheel while drunk, he wouldn’t be dead today. Not a single media house, or anyone in government, mentioned that when they went to his funeral. I spoke to the police officers who responded to the accident, but we don’t shame the dead; we say, it’s unAfrican. Hypocrisy.
“Across this country are bars with parking slots, because their clients know they can drink and drive while drunk. They know they can bribe police and if they end up in court, the penalty for drunk driving is lenient. Killer drunk drivers and reckless road users aren’t convicted. You can bribe the police to destroy the evidence, or buy the judge. Pastor Nganga walked after killing Mercy Njeri. Joel Kibe killed Charles Wachira while driving drunk; he was acquitted. Mugo Mwangi and James Maingi were killed by driver, Charles Njagua. Njagua was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of only Sh40,000.
“When you see a motorist drinking and you know very well they intend to drive home, just know they’re a potential killer on wheels. You may be young and you don’t care but, one day, you will become a parent and your drunk friend many years from now will kill the child you brought into this world. That’s how it works. The bad habits you encourage, the things you overlook, will grow into a monster that will affect you someday.
Speak up against drunk driving. Photograph and shame those drinking joints where people drink the entire night and still drive home. Kenyans, our hypocrisy and cowardice will destroy us. Finally, we thought his drinking wasn’t a problem, but we are now suffering as a nation,” wrote Boniface Mwangi.
